


All paths lead to Rome

by LittleLinor



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-19
Updated: 2013-06-19
Packaged: 2017-12-15 12:23:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/849532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Through days six, seven and eight, Izuna tries to unravel the mystery that is the Shomonkai Maiden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All paths lead to Rome

The Shomonkai maiden is a mystery.  
When Izuna had learned of her existance and started requesting reports on her from their informants outside and their undercover troops inside, she had thought her to be a mere pawn in her father's hand, a young, charismatic fanatic raised on her cult's principles.  
Seeing her stand straight and with no hesitation in front of a gun, though, she remembers the other things she's heard about her, how the girl let a demon into her body and used its power for her own, how she and her father were arguing, lately, how she's been growing closer and closer to those kids, those loose cogs in the unstoppable machine of what's starting to shape itself as the apocalypse. And when the girl's calm, matter of fact argument is not please spare me, I don't want to die, or I'm too strong for you, you can't harm me, but I'm more dangerous to you dead than alive, she starts thinking that she might have to revise her judgement.  
If they ever get time enough for that.

They learn of the Shomonkai leader's death in the wake of the King of Bel's proclamation.  
Izuna isn't all surprised. If the Shomonkai worshipped Belberith, the boy's victory could only come at the cost of the demon's life, and she doubted he would go down alone.  
She didn't know which of the two had technically taken his life, and she didn't want to know.  
Less than an hour later, she spots orange outfits moving among the crowd of half-panicked, half-relieved civilians amassing near the soon-to be lifted barricades. Her soldiers start homing in on them, but she signals them to let them be, and observes them instead. The followers talk to distressed civilians, reunite lost children with their parents, try to give updates on the situation.  
Izuna tells the others to keep an eye on them and goes off in search of Amane.

She finds the Maiden in Shibuya station, giving a speech to a growing crowd. Though she seems as proud as usual, Izuna sees dark circles under her eyes, and notices the way her followers keep a nervous eye on her, as if she would collapse.  
"Thank you for your help," she tells her once the speech is done and people have started to dissipate. "People are panicked enough, and a lot of them don't trust the SDF anymore."  
"The Shomonkai's goal is to help humanity withstand this crisis" is Amane's only answer. Instead of explaining herself further, she takes Izuna aside. "Not all demons follow the Overlord, Captain Izuna. His authority does not make existing contracts null. There are still demon tamers around, and not all of those have peaceful intentions. This is why the Shomonkai, who still have their COMPs, maintain a presence around the civilians."  
"... I'm sorry about your father. I appreciate your help."  
"My father chose his own path, Captain Izuna, and I chose mine. Had I chosen to make him my priority, I would have acted differently. And I might not be standing here now to help humanity's reconstruction." She pauses, taking a second to look up at the still-red sky above Roppongi Hills. "But... thank you. I appreciate it."

It is the 8th day of the Tokyo Lockdown, and Izuna feels the anuseating, bitter taste of betrayal.  
"You know they are lying, Commander! What are we to tell the civilians waiting at our door? Those who never touched a COMP and have been spending the last seven days running from demons and trying to keep their families alive? What do I tell those kids, who went and finished _our_ mission and are being targets again? Can't the Government stand up to them?"  
"If I could get out of this lockdown and talk to them directly, maybe we could. But we're all in the same boat, Izuna. At least they haven't used the final option and that's _the most I can do right now_!"

She runs into Amane again around noon, after hours of damage control, and she seems more tired than ever.  
"The Shomonkai have split," she tells Izuna with a bluntness rivaling her own when she approaches. "Some of our followers have decided to cooperate with the angels and take down the Overlord."  
"What about you? Didn't you fight him yesterday?"  
Amane shakes her head, and the flower in her hair looks too heavy on her.  
"I chose to side with Remiel, because I trusted his desire to save humanity from peril. But I trust the Overlord too. I know his choice was not easy. And while he may not have taken the path I hoped he would... I respect his choice and his goals." She looks up, straight into Izuna's eyes. "I do not care who wins this war, as long as humanity doesn't lose it. I have stood against my father for this goal, and I am prepared to do it again. What about you? What do you believe in most? Do you still believe in your government, or are you ready to take a stand where they won't?"  
She stares at this girl, staring calmly at her from under her unearthly flower, and thinks of all the betrayals she's had to go through, on both sides, to reach her goal, of her compassion and equal ruthlessness, and starts to understand, a little, what it takes to be a leader.  
"I think... I think I'm going to put my duty first. My mission is to protect the citizen, after all."  
Amane nods, and she thinks there might have been a hint of a smile, if not on her lips, then in her eyes.  
"I wish you luck."


End file.
